Unsanitary Food Storage and Preparation Practices
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed multiple failures in food storage and preparation within the facility's main kitchen. Specifically, a crate of grape juice cartons that had expired was found and had been used for the breakfast meal. Additionally, there were spills of milk and an unidentified substance on the cooler floor that had not been cleaned up. A tray of hamburger patties was also found open and exposed to air in the freezer, rather than being properly covered and sealed. Interviews with dietary staff confirmed these deficiencies. A dietary aide acknowledged that the expired grape juice should have been discarded, the spills should have been cleaned, and the hamburger patties should have been covered. The Dietary Manager also confirmed these findings, noting that the expired juice should have been thrown out, spills should have been addressed, and the hamburger patties should not have been left exposed. The manager attributed these lapses to short staffing in the kitchen.
Plan Of Correction
The expired grape juice that was gotten out of the freezer was discarded, the cooler wiped down for spills, and the open box of hamburger patties was discarded immediately by the dietary staff. The dietary staff was educated on checking labels for expiration, keeping spills cleaned up, and sealing boxes properly when closing along with general dietary sanitation reminders. The Dietary Manager is responsible for ongoing audits of sanitation in the kitchen, and these audits will be completed daily x5 for 2 weeks, then weekly x 4, then monthly ongoing to ensure monitoring and compliance with results to Quality Assurance.